Sunday, February 22, 2015

Baby Bang Take 2

Here we go again. I told myself after I finished one of these 45 degree diamond quilts a few years ago I was never making one again.  The original one I saw was Kaffe Fassett's "Big Bang". I fell in love with it in Kaffe Fassett's Caravan of Quilts and I think you can also find it in Kaffe Quilts Again. Kaffe's version was 95" x 95", and of course, all beautiful Rowan fabrics. While you know how I love my Kaffe's, this time I went with French Country-feeling fabrics I had in my stash and wanted to use. By the time I got out to this size (about 45"x45") I was done with diamonds and bias edges, called it quilts and redubbed mine "Baby Bang".

My first attempt at "Big Bang".
It's currently on display at my university library as part of a Mathematics in Creative Arts exhibit based on the book: Crafting by Concepts: Fiber Arts and Mathematics. I wish I could claim my quilt took all kinds of crazy mathematic calculations and mind bending, but no. Just a single block - the 45 degree diamond, and a few of its friends :)

Makes this simple quilt sound kind of smart, doesn't it?





Also in the exhibit, not your everyday origami! 

There it is under all of that other really cool stuff!



Recently, I was on the hunt for some science-looking fabric, and when I found these I knew instantly what quilt they had to go in - Baby Bang Take 2! These lovelies were found at one of my favorite local quilt shops, Two Thimbles. A mix of fabric lines: three from Atomic Garden by StudioE fabrics, Fruit Stand by Jane Farnham for Camelot Fabrics, and Lucky Penny by Alison Glass for Andover Fabrics.
 
 

There is no fancy technique used in the piecing of this quilt. It's just joining 45 degree diamonds - one at a time into rows, rows into eighths, and finally joining the eight sections into one. Here's the new version in progress, two eighths laid out on my design wall:


Slow and steady is the key to this one - and touching the diamonds as little as possible! It can be maddening. I swear if I even look at one of those diamonds sideways, it stretches and distorts. Well, wish me luck! If and when I finished it, it will have a new home on my office wall.

Happy stitching,

Tonya